Being Brave
by Cat 2
Summary: AU, Coping with Physical and Mental disabilities, can Our favourite Mutants still save the day? R&R Please
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: X-Men and all characters within are property of Marvel, with the exception of Cat who is my own creation. This story is only made for entertainment value

Being Brave.

Part 1

"Mutants!?" the professor gazes down at me, though really I'm only sitting opposite him. "You want to work with mutants?"  
I nod.  
"It's a huge area of research and work."  
"And a Cinderella industry." The professor says getting to his feet and wandering over to a bookcase. "Bearing in mind that most of the major sponsors refuse to support any projects linked to mutants."  
I shrug, while inwardly cursing. At the beginning of the year, this had seem so far away, so safe so... theoretical.

"It's what I'm interested in. And the community looks after their own. Basically I know there's work out there, but do you have anyone who could give me a placement."

The professor returns to his desk and glances at letter there.

"Funnily enough I do."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"There are realities that exist beyond our own; other dimensional planes and pockets steeped in magic and governed by arcane and ominous forces."

The words seemed to echo around the volcanic landscape. He standing, dressed in brown armour? That covers him. Curiously it doesn't make him any less afraid.

He can hear a voice, that sounds like his own, calling out to something, someone called Onslaught, saying he doesn't deserve this. What did he ever _do_ to him?

The only answer there seems to be, arrives in a coincidental eruption of searing hot lava that begins to burn through his costume.

He screamed in terror as the darkness tries to crush him.

"Cain?" a voice came thought the darkness, strong and calm, forcing the demons of his night away.

"It's alright." The voice continued, as a figure made her way across the room. "I'm here."

The welcome coolness of the night washed over his face. He gazed up into Cat's green eyes.

"It's o.k." she repeated. "It was just a nightmare."

He shook his head, as cool clothes slipped across it and began to tell her all about it.

He didn't know how long he talked, or even if what he said made sense. He was just glad to get it out.

When he'd finished, she nodded.

"Its o.k., you're safe now." She gently reminded him.

He grunted. "What time is it?"  
She glanced at the luminous numbers of the clock.

"Five thirty. You wanna try and get some sleep, or get up?"  
He paused, considering this, while straining his ears to see if he could hear the sounds of the institute rising for the day.

"Get up."

#

Pietro swore as he put the phone down. He cursed his sister, using names that if his father ever heard he would be beaten for. As it was there was only Cat, who only reaction was,

"You want some coffee?"

He grunted his consent, wheeling himself up to the table.

Cain, sitting opposite regarded him out of his brown eyes. Kyle, seated on the floor, watched both with his blue. Cat, despite her back being turned, watched all three.

It wasn't difficult for the ex-Black ops agent, especially as the coffee pot was metallic.

"As hot as hell, as black as night, as sweet as love." She said, pouring coffee into a cup. "The Arabic way of drinking it."

"As long as there's caffeine in it, I don't care!" Pietro replied, grabbing the cup from her. Cat poured herself and Cain a cup, and persuaded Kyle up on to his seat to drink some milk.

"I take it," she said coolly, sinking that the animal whose name she bore into a chair, "that you were unable to get hold of your sister?"  
Pietro snarled. "Anya refused to speak to me, or to come to the phone."

Cat sipped her coffee.

"Still mad at you guys then." She paused before adding, "You might want to try sticking around a bit more today. Things are going to get hectic."

"More than usual?" Cain observed, jokingly, but Pietro shook his head.

"Wanda and Kurt won't be here till tomorrow, Lauran and Alex's plane doesn't get in till this evening."

Cat's eyes held something that made him uncomfortable for he added,

"Rasputin can take a couple of shifts, if needs be. And didn't Xavier say that there was someone who was interested in the internship?"  
Cat snorted. "That means we get some kid, who we have to train up and who'll leave within a couple of weeks."  
"You don't know that," Pietro began, but at that moment some movement outside made Kyle start down from the chair, upsetting his milk. Cat's eyes rested on him, in an unspoken challenge.

"You haven't told Xavier have you?" Pietro said, sipping his coffee.

"No." Cat admitted. "I had hoped that I would be able to persuade him that he had enough hands to help." Her eyes narrowed at him.

Pietro shrugged. "Can't help you."

"I know." Cat sighed. "Just have to steel myself for a fight." She sipped her coffee with a sigh.

#

Valerie's POV

The Good Shepherd institute. It's the only place of its kind semi exclusively for Mutants. A Centre for those with both physical and mental difficulties to receive professional help. Professor Grey knows the guy who runs it. He set me up with an interview.

It looks good. A huge old house set in beautiful parkland. I get to the gate, and push the intercom.

"Yes?" the voice makes me jump, even though I'm expecting it.

"Hi. My name's Copper, Valerie Copper. I, err, I have an appointment."

"One moment." A buzzer sounds and the gates open.

"Welcome to the Good Shepherd, Ms Copper."

I walked up the drive, fighting my nerves. The door is opened, and a man stands there, looking at me. He's small and buff, dressed in SHIELD uniform. He looks me over.

"You the probie?"

I nod.

"Best come in." He stands aside, and I enter into the huge reception hall.

"Kitchen's down the hall." He says, heading off long the corridor.

I heard the kitchen, before I see it.

"I don't see what the problem is. You knew this. The trial's been on the cards for months."

"Circumstances are a little different."  
"Cos Magnus is sick? I apologise that it's a bad time, but SHIELD is not very sympathetic. Nor is the criminal court of New York State."

The woman who's saying this, steps out of the kitchen for a moment and Yells up the stairs.

"Laura! Sooyra! Julian! Kevin! Rogue! Breakfast! Poitr! Illyanna! Торопитесь! время на Завтрак!"

She notices me for the first time.

"You're new."

"Hi, I'm Valerie Cooper."  
"See Charlie. There you are. There's a newbie here. She can take some of the strain." She glanced and yelled along the corridor.

"Wolves? You ready?" she smiles and glances at Xavier.

"Soz Chuck got to go." She pushes as past me.

And for the first time I meet Professor Charles Xavier. The guy has a bald head, vivid blue eyes, and a well built body.

"Ms Cooper? It's a pleasure." He begins, extending his hand. Then the kid sitting beside, bout 19 with blond hair, and crouched like an animal, moves to follow the woman and upsets the mug of milk that's beside him, all over Xavier. Then a kid with red hair, done in little plaits wanders in and asks,

"Where's Cat?"

Xavier gives me a weary smile.

"Well Ms Cooper. It appears we're throwing you in at the deep end."

N.B. the phrase "Торопитесь! время на Завтрак!" translates as "Hurry up! Time for the Breakfast! "

TBC, if you review


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 2

"No!" Cain eyes rested angrily on Mystique and at the small tablet in her hand.

Mystique fought to stay calm.

"Cain. Your Brother is worried about you. He knows you'll still getting the nightmares and not enough sleep. With Cat away we're short staffed, so please, just take the tablet and sleep."  
Cain eyes blazed and he shook his head. Mystique nodded slowly. Carefully she dissolved the tablet in some water, and poured it in Cain's glass, placing it well within his reach.

"I am going to go and help Henry with the rest. If that is not drunk by the time I get back..." she left it hanging.

Cain gazed at the cup as she left, and shook his head.

#

"We should be grateful that the damage is only superflial." Dr Henry McCoy straightened up. "Even if it is very painful."

Valerie Cooper nodded, glancing down at the white bandage around her leg.

"I'm really sorry." She said. "He just looked so miserable in there. I just opened the door and he leaped at me."

"Hmm!" Dr McCoy said, removing and polishing his glasses. "Kyle is very violent when he feels provoked.  
"How did I...?" Valerie began, but Dr McCoy interrupted her.

"You must understand the nature of Kyle's mutation to understand him." he paused, seemingly uncertain of how to continue.

"Kyle Gibney is a mutant who manifested a feral mutation during puberty; this mutation granted him enhanced physical abilities and an increased rate of regeneration. He also suffers from a bestial appearance, which prompted his parents to throw him out of their house. Living on the streets, he was kidnapped and subjected to mind- and body-altering experiments. Much more than that, we don't know. There is a hint that it was similar to the experiments perform on Cat and Logan. These experiments had the consequence of making him psychologically unstable, and in particular prone to violent and animalistic behavior." He paused, cleaning the lenses more vigorously. "Kyle looks upon us as a pack. He accepts Logan as the Alpha male and Cat as the Alpha female. The rest of us are tolerated, but they are the only ones who can handle them."

Valerie nodded. "So he saw me as a threat to Cat's dominance and attacked."

Dr McCoy nodded.

"Will he ever recover?"  
Henry McCoy shrugged. "Unknown. But Cat and Logan still view him as having a chance, so perhaps."

"How did he end up here?"

"Aah. Now there's a story." Dr McCoy moved along, replacing bandage in a box. "Logan opened the door one morning, much as he did for you, and there he was. He leapt up and attempted to attack Logan, before been knocked back." He shrugged. "According to Cat and Logan, he was left there by an old colleague of theirs, Victor Creed. Why Mr. Creed did not wait until they arrived, I have no idea."  
"Creed ain't the sociable type." Mystique had entered, shaking her red hair out of her face.

She glanced down. "Take it Kyle wasn't settling."  
"Not particularly. How's Cain?"  
"His usual charming self." Mystique said, "I've given him the option of taking the drug willingly, but I highly doubt he will."

"I'll give him a sedative." Henry promised. Noticing the shock on Valerie's face he hastened to explain,

"Cain Marko, Xavier's stepbrother. He's a quadriplegic, injured in Korea. As a result of those injuries, he suffers badly from nightmares and Claustrophobia, to the point that a dark room is a torture chamber to him. Cat is capable of calming him, but for the rest of us, even his brother, it's a challenge." He shook his head. "At points in the course of these nightmares I've seen him fall out of bed, literally terrorized to the point he struggles to breathe. As a result of his condition, he might hurt himself, and not realize it. Therefore we are ...eager to help him. Unfortunately a life spent in institutes has made Cain very suspicious of drugs." He sighed and changed the subject.

"How's Rogue? She settled?"  
"In her pajamas, but I doubt she'll be asleep for a couple of hours. She was reading _I'll love you forever._" She shook her head. "Laura and Sooyra are tense, but I think they'll be out like lights in a bit. Torrey's done her work well."

"Same with Julian." Henry agreed. "Piotr was reading to Illyana when I passed, but she was already asleep."  
"It's as calming for him, as it is for her." Mystique said quietly. "Providing he's out of there by lights out I don't mind." She dried her hand on a towel. "How's Scott?"

"Scott is Scott." This no one could disagree on. Scott was catatonic. Getting any response from him was a challenge. "How's Jean?"  
"Better than the rest." Mystique replied. "But she has the least contact with Cat or Logan."

Hank Nodded.

"You set the alarm?" Mystique asked.  
"Henry shook his head. "Xavier is currently at the hospital, and Peitro is picking up Lorna and Alex. I've put it on level 2. I'll put it on level one when they return."  
"You wait up." Mystique said, yawning. "I'm going to do the rounds. Then hit the hay. I'll do the school run in the morning." She glanced at me. "You want to come? You'll meet Torrey a lot. She's a special education teacher at school."

Valerie nodded.

"See you in morning." Mystique said, standing in the doorway


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry for the delay in updating people, Hope an extra long chapter makes up for it.

Chapter 3

"But Cat takes us to school." Rogue said, this taking her red mug from Mystique. I could see her biting her lip, to force herself to stay in control.

"Yes, But Cat isn't here at the minute. Remember she explained this to you yesterday."  
"Cat takes us to school." Rogue repeated. Moving around, laying out bowls I took the opportunity to whisper to Dr McCoy,

"Does Rogue go to school?"  
Henry shook his head. "We've tried a couple of times. But every time we take her there, she screams like a banshee. Eventually we had to decide to leave it for now. It's a pity, she loves reading and if we could just get her there..."

"Rogue. I will be taking you to school this morning. I'm sorry if that does not meet with you approval, but arh!" Mystique had been buttering toast while she was talking and the knife had slide across her hand, taking a fair amount of her skin with it.

A blonde haired guy, introduced to me as Alex, took the knife from her, while Henry and Professor Xavier yanked her out of the kitchen.

"What's this all about?" Xavier demanded raggedly. He's been up since the early hours after Cain had an epileptic seizer, his first in a long time. There had been no real harm done, but it had still been scary watching Cain scream in agony, as the electric shocks that couldn't move hit him. "I am aware we have all been up since the early hours, but that has happened before. And I am aware that you are missing Logan, but he and Cat will be back this evening-"

Mystique shook her head.  
"Logan's spare uniforms are gone. Cat's too. I noticed when I was looking for something to calm Kyle down." She turned her golden eyes wide with fear. Letting her words sink in, she continued. "That means that they're at a SHIELD Safe house."

All four of us stand in silence for a moment, before the radio, turned on by Jean when she came into the kitchen starts us all into life.

"SHIELD Commander, Colonel Nicolas Fury said that he can neither confirm nor deny the rumours surrounding the trial of Frank Castle, A.K.A. the Punisher. Sources close to SHIELD, however, claim that the Costa family has taken out a contact on the arresting SHIELD Agents, who are to testify about the September massacre of the Costa family."  
Alex grabbed the keys from Mystique.

"Move it or lose it kids!" he bellowed. "No offence Myst, but I don't think you're up to this."

Given how pale Mystique had gone, I agreed with him.

* * *

Torrey POV

The institute children are late. This is a contradiction. The Institute children are either on time, or not coming. An event that has thankfully happened less frequently recently.

"Where are they?" Remy asks. Remy LeBeau was a New Orleans street kid, who'd been adopted into a West Cheshire family. They had believe that love would be enough to overcome the problems of his past, which from the little I could gather involved a career as a street thief and child prostitute. Unfortunately it wasn't quite that simple.

Possibly as a result of his experiences, Remy suffered from Haptephobia, to the extent that a simple and accidental playground brush could lead to him almost killing his "assailant." His adopted parents had coped as best they could, for as long as they could, but had ultimately had to hand him over to the Good Shepherd Institute for treatment. He was recovering, slowly, from his phobia, and had returned home, but still refused any physical contact.

"I don't know, Remy." I say wandering over to his desk. He tenses slightly as I approach, but calms down quickly. Before I can say anything else, a flurry of footsteps interrupts me, and the door bursts open.

"Hey Torrey. Sorry we're late."  
I gaze at the blonde babe magnet who enters the classroom. This cannot be the same child who I taught. The child who had spent most of his life in institutes, and was it seemed bound to his brother. The child who spent most of every day in detention for fights.

"Alex?!" I say amazed. He grins

"Glad you recognize me Torrey."  
"It's great to see you. How are you? How's Lorna?"

Alex shifted uncomfortably. "Tired and worried. We just flew in from Comoros Islands yesterday evening, cos her dad's ill."

I nod. I had heard about Magnus.

"This is Valerie Copper," he says, as I notice for the first time a new face standing in the doorway. "She's an intern at Good Shepherd." I shake her hand, and, turn back to continue talking to Alex. Unfortunately, Laura attempts to stab Remy with her pencil, so I have to go and deal with that.

* * *

"I apologise commander, but we didn't know what else to do." The SHIELD Agent glanced nervously at his superior, as they swept through the corridors beneath the court house. "He was fine, no troubleat all until the shrink left. Since then..." he trailed off.

"Tell me what's happened." She said, walking rapidly.

"At first, after the shrink left, he kept wandering over to the cell door, looking out like he was expecting someone. Then he started banging on them. The prison guard, he tried to get him to quiet down, but he..." he paused uncertainly. "Got violent."

They turned the corner. A body lay squalled in front of the cell, where a dark haired man was raging.

"FRANK!" Cat screamed. "What's the matter?"  
"Where are they? Where are they?"  
"Where's who Frank?"

"Lisa and Frank Jr. They'll be scared. Shrink said, if I talked to him, that I could see them."

Cat froze, thinking it over. They need Frank to be calm. There was already one dead body.

"Yes. I know that. But he's got to talk to the judge. Get this silly mess sorted out. But if you keep this up, then we can't. You have to stay calm."  
Frank nodded. "But I can see them soon, right? I don't want to leave them. Lisa doesn't like hospitals or doctors and Frank Jr screams the roof down every time he gets a shot. All those tests the doctors are putting him through." He shrugged. "You know how kids can get. I can't leave Maria to cope on her own." Cat nodded softly.

"I'll speak to the judge; see if we can't hurry it up." She gazed down at him, desperate for some sign that he knew he was talking crazy. That he knew his family was dead. There was none. He sincerely believed what he was saying. She rapidly turned and walked away.

Logan had just come out of court and she met him at the bench.

"Judge agreed to the plea." He said softly. "Nick thinks he's got Costa's boys under control, so we might be getting home sooner than we thought."

He gazed at her. "What's wrong?"  
Cat shook her head. "It's just hard to believe that the guy down there is the same one who pulled our asses out of the fire in 1969." She shook her head. "3 years at the Shepherd, and I'm still no nearer understanding the human mind."  
Wolverine shrugged. "Does Chuck?"  
Cat smile came back for a brief instant. "Good point."

An agitated usher was standing by the door, and Cat sighed.

"You handle things here?" she asked. As he nodded, she followed the man inside.

* * *

Valerie's POV

Mystique was walking with Rogue and Jean towards the parkland. She flagged us down, and persuaded me to join them. Alex took off for the hospital.

"When we first came here," Mystique explained as we walked. "The place had been uninhabited for nearly 20 years. From what I can gather, both the brothers' parents died when they were still quite young, and both left home and travelled widely only meeting up in Korea. Then Cain spent most of his life in various hospitals and institutes, and Xavier was travelling." She smiled remembering. "As a result when they both came here, this place was a mess. The house had been sorted out before we arrived, but the Garden was a mass of weeds and thorns. Cat and Logan have been clearing it, with help from the kids, since they got here." She shrugged "it's still a work in progress."

We had now reached an area of bare soil, which met with the main Lawn of the house. I settled down with Jean to play dolls, while Mystique and Rogue donned gardening gloves and collected trowels and plants from the shed. They both kneel quite happily in the dirt, planting them.

"When it's finished," Mystique tells me, as she digs. "This will be an herb garden. Cat suggested it and, she chose all the herbs."  
"Rosemary for Remembrance," Rogue recited, stroking the plant's leaves. "Lavender for headaches and sleeplessness, Mint for Fresh breath, Penny royal for women's troubles." She paused her forehead creased. "I can't remember what Lemon Balm's for."

"It doesn't matter." Mystique said. "We've got a while to go before we get there anyway."

She began digging a hole, then placed the tiny plants into it.  
"Cat says that when they're big, she can use these plants" Rogue said, holding up the Lavender, "to Help Cain."  
Mystique smiled. "She's right. Lavender will help calm Cain down after a nightmare without drugs."  
"What happen to him?" I ask curiously. "Dr. McCoy told me, he'd been injured in Korea, but he didn't give details."  
Mystique shrugged. "Probably didn't have them. Even I don't know the whole story. From what I can gather, Cain and Xavier were stationed together in Korea. Same unit, though Xavier was Search and Rescue, while Cain was a soldier. I understand that their platoon came under fire and they were forced to retreat. They stumbled upon an ancient temple hidden deep in a cave. As far as I can gather, and bear in mind neither has ever said much about it, there was an explosion near the mouth of the cave. Charles managed to get out before it collapsed, but Cain wasn't so lucky. He was trapped under a ton of rock, still full conscious. Charles tried to dig him out, but it was too late. Cain sustained massive injuries including spinal damage that left him quadriplegic and Head trauma that 's responsible for the fits."  
I shook my head.

"Poor guy."

Mystique nodded.

"It's the reason Charles set up this place. Got sick of seeing his brother spending most of time drugged out of his skull and treated like a baby. Got a degree in psychology, Met Magnus, whose son, Pietro had been injured in Anti Mutant riots, and they founded this place together." She smiled, as Rogue added.

"It's a very special place."  
"that I can believe." I said, turning my attention back to Jean who was showing off, a bit, demonstrating how she could telekinetically manipulate her Babies so the dolls moved jerkily, seemingly by themselves. I had to laugh.

It just felt so perfect. The sort of day everyone who works here longs for. In the distance I heard a metallic clang. Mystique glanced up.  
"look's like there's a new patient." She said.

TBC


End file.
